TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Tim Krueger, the founder of Advocate Cycles, a boutique off-road bike brand from Minnesota, is prepping a line of tires under the Wend label. Krueger will launch the full line at the Interbike show this fall.
Krueger is a former product manager for QBP's Whisky Parts Co. and Salsa brands. With help from a Kickstarter campaign, he launched Advocate Cycles last year. The company is registered as a Minnesota Specific Benefit Corporation, and has pledged 100 percent of profits after taxes to bike advocacy efforts.
The new tire brand will be restricted to the brick-and-mortar retail channel. Wend will be distributed dealer direct and via distributors.
Krueger is showing off a single Wend model at Taipei. The Wazia model is a 4.6-inch studable fat tire. Krueger said studs are a good "insurance policy" for snow riding. Trails that are groomed specifically for snow biking get hard packed and can become icy in some conditions, making studs necessary, he said.
